Reflecting on the era of fascism in Ireland

Jim Haughey Memorial Lecture

[Note by C Crossey: This is essentially the speech given by Roy at the 1st Jim Haughey Memorial Lecture. One point to be borne in mind is that he was speaking in his personal capacity, and the point of a Lecture is to get discussion going.]

It was a pleasure to meet Spanish Civil War veterans last week. Bob Doyle, the last surviving Irish volunteer, was joined by Jack Edwards of Liverpool at Craigavon Trade Union Council’s first Jim Haughey memorial lecture.

This began a series of reflections on racism, sectarianism and fascism.

Seventeen-year-old Jim Haughey had responded to fascist atrocities in Spain by joining the International Brigades to face deprivation, imprisonment and suffering.

He found his way to Canada, joined the Canadian Air Force and continued fighting fascism until he died in a flying accident.

The Spanish Popular Front was democratically elected but Franco helped instigate a rebellion.

Eoin O’Duffy, former IRA chief of staff, organised the Irish Brigade (Blue Shirts) in support of Franco and “against Communism, Jewry and Freemasonry”.

The atmosphere in Ireland was so hostile to Protestant and Catholic anti-fascist volunteers they had to move quietly. Northern Ireland Labour leader and future Unionist education minister Harry Midgley supported them as did former Sinn Fein president Fr Michael O’Flanagan.

Shortly before this, Belfast Catholic and Protestant workers, including my uncle, protested together against the humiliating Outdoor Relief provisions. A large Shankill Road procession was cheered by Catholic residents at Carrick Hill as they marched shoulder to shoulder supporting the right to live.

Two years later Belfast Protestants honouring Wolfe Tone at Bodenstown were attacked by nationalist Tipperary IRA men who seized their banners. One of these proclaimed “Wolfe Tone Commemoration 1934 – Shankill Road Belfast Branch – Break the link with Capitalism”.

The resulting melee was described as “A Day of Shame”.

Two men carrying the banner – William Tumilson and Jim Stranney – later died in the Spanish Civil War. Fifty years later in 1984, socialists – including some from the Shankill Road – returned to re-enact the parade.

In 1930s Ireland, anti-Franco volunteers faced denigration because most Catholic clergy supported Franco and atrocity stories were highlighted about nuns being raped, priests murdered and churches burned.

Last year Pope Benedict paid tribute to these pro-Franco “martyrs” and set 500 on the path to sainthood. But a banner in the crowd proclaimed “Those who have killed, tortured and exploited cannot be beatified”. It was torn to pieces.

But the crimes of Franco are undeniable and around half a million, mainly civilians, died.

Tens of thousands suspected of leftist sympathies were executed and thousands of bodies have so far been recovered from mass graves.

Fascism is associated with fanaticism, racism, totalitarianism, violence and genocide but the term has become an ill-defined form of abuse.

The tendencies associated with fascism are not confined to one tradition and the fact that O’Duffy could raise his Blue Shirts in support of Franco suggests that fascism was alive and well in Ireland. The IRA’s Green Book also states bluntly that their “Army” is “the legal and lawful government of the Irish Republic” which is hardly democratic.

The Provisional campaign of blowing human beings to smithereens and of widespread destruction was grossly inhumane and could be described as fascist. Many so-called republicans displayed arrogance in assuming that they alone had justice on their side.

They fed on myths and presented Irish unity as a kind of sacred goal – an objective that could override all other considerations.

Thus the fate of victims seemed of little significance, just as for Nazis Jewish lives were expendable.

Some unionists took similar extreme views and during the early 1970s I was increasingly uneasy at the views of those advocating a fundamentalist ascendancy.

Conspiracy theories were rife suggesting Protestant Ulster was under international attack and support was even gleaned from a forged document used by the Nazis – “Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion”.

Working-class loyalists were described by these people as “cannon fodder” to be directed during the expected civil war. There was no room for compromise.

Thankfully some leading loyalists saw through the nonsense and determined there would be no civil war. They refused to meekly accept their assigned role and began to think and act for themselves.

Yet when I told communists about loyalists wanting a better society they refused to even consider that anything positive might come from that source.

A Labour party friend was astounded and commented that bigotry is found in strange places.

Many volunteers for Spain, like Jim Haughey, gave their lives fighting Fascism and we best can honour them – not by fighting but by working for peace, justice, mutual respect and by refusing to see fascism only in another tradition.

roy@irishnews.com